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Creative Zen Stone 1 GB
by Danscomp
Overview
This most humble of music devices has been in my use for four years. It is my gym buddy and represents the best £25 I have ever spent.
Design 8/10
This device is tiny and it is light. But it is not fragile, it's been tossed with impunity. I wouldn't want to throw it at the wall, but I know if it ... falls out of my pocket, it will grip onto the headphone jack like grim death without damaging itself or the wires. I can't say the same for my iPod touch.
There's no screen. Just a wheel around a select button and a slide. It is incredibly easy and intuitive. The wheel controls volume, and track skipping. You can also fast forward and rewind by keeping your thumb down on skip forward or back.
The select button will pause or power on and off. On the top is a slide which can jump between playlists or randomise. There is an adapter socket between it and any PC with a USB slot for recharging and access to the creative software.
Battery life is around ten hours. My humble 1GB device holds about 80 songs at highest quality. This does mean a limit, but nowhere near my average gym session. You could literally run a marathon on a single play through.
Music quality 8/10
I've no idea how creative have managed it, but even through a cheap pair of headphones music sounds absolutely great. Bass comes through without the tininess you might be expecting. Volume is absolutely no problem, though a pair of inner earphones is advisable to avoid sharing your music with people close by.
Software 7/10
The creative labs software is as simple and easy to use as the device itself. The libraries are simply folders. Nothing fancy, can rip CDs faster than a speeding bullet. Copying songs from an Amazon MP3 download library is an exercise in utter simplicity. It handles principally MP3s and WMA formats. Creative labs claim up to 500 songs on a 1GB device, but if you're anything like me, you will want quality over quantity.
Tech specs
I've cut the specs from Amazon for those that may be interested. Amazon typically sells the Zen stone plus which has twice the storage and a very small display for the price I paid for this one. When (and if!) this one dies, I would have no hesitation in buying one.
Size: 53.7 x 35.3 x 12.8mm (WxHxD)
Capacity: 1GB
Weight: 18.3g
Battery: 1 x Rechargeable Lithium Ion
Supported formats:MP3 (Up to 320Kbps)WMA (Up To 320Kbps)WMA with DRM 9
MP3 Playback Performance:Signal To Noise Ratio: Up to 90dBChannel Seperation: Up to 65dBFrequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHzHarmonic Distortion Output: <0.1%
Connectors:Headphone Jack: 3.5mmUSB 2 port: Standard USB mini-B
Earphone specifications:Frequency Range: 20Hz to 20kHzImpedance: 32 Ohm +/- 15%Plug: 3.5mm stereo minijack
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Apple iPod shuffle (2G) 1 GB
by Stunt 101
Note: This review is based on the Fourth Generation version of the IPod Shuffle.
Are you tired of having to cycle through reams of albums to find the song to fit your mood? Can't be bothered to scroll through all your music and make smaller playlists to isolate your favourite songs? Then the Ipod shuffle may just be for you - ... a tiny MP3 that doesn't even contain a screen, this 2G music player is perfect if your answer to the above question is yes. It's not a pitch-perfect device, but this little beauty is great for those wanting varied music on the go.
I was given the IPod Shuffle as an 18th Birthday Present. I workout at the Gym, and while my MP3 is good, I definitely was interested in the idea that I could have a device which would shake up the bands I listen to and allow some more variety. A sense of amazement came over me when I first got the device. Coming in merely a small glass case which could fit in the palm of your hand, the presentation is pretty attractive from the get go. Things get more interesting once you crack open the case: you know the MP3 is small, but even the cable used to hook up the device to your computer is small compared to other music devices, as well as the instruction manual. It certainly stops the place from becoming cluttered with cables. It's all immediately appealing, so the Shuffle scores points for at least giving a pleasant first impression.
Setting up the device is relatively simple, though be warned you need internet access if you don't have ITunes installed to your computer. The installation of ITunes is quick and painless, so those without it won't have to go through too much stress. From there, if you have music in Windows Media Player, for example, you can import the music into ITunes, though some formats of music are incompatible with ITunes, meaning you may have to rip your CD again through ITunes. Of course, you can download music too through the ITunes store. Those who have ITunes already with music downloaded to it can easily start transferring their music to the Shuffle, meaning putting your favourite tunes onto the device is almost a breeze.
Downloading music to the device is quick, so you could essentially have your Shuffle set up and filled with your favourite songs within 20 minutes, if that. When it comes to the device itself, it is mostly of good quality. The music playback is great: it's loud, the bass is pretty audible for once and the headphones which come with the device are good, if somewhat uncomfortable at times. The buttons are mostly clear and okay to use. The play button doesn't feel too stiff, so pausing is easy, and same goes for the skip and volume buttons. Holding the play button down allows you to lock the device, freeing up space which could've been taken up by a Lock button. Perhaps the most interesting feature is the optional "Voiceover" button which allows you to allow a robotic voice to inform you of the current song and artist. It can even tell you the percentage of battery charge left and what playlist you are listening to, though be warned you need memory free to install the Song Identifier part of the Voiceover.
There are some nagging problems with the Shuffle despite its positives. Perhaps the most notable is the small amount of memory it holds, which while understandable is also limiting, especially if you happen to enjoy longer songs which take up more memory, essentially meaning more repetition could ensue. On the bright side, 2G is certainly a lot more than the Generation One Shuffle's measly 512MB memory. The shuffling is not always perfect either, as sometimes clumps of songs from the same artist will play in quick succession. The switch on top of the device also leaves a lot to be desired. Acting as both the power button and the shuffle button, all too often is it ridiculously easy to accidentally shuffle your playlist when you are trying to turn the blasted thing on, which is confusing when you first start using the device.
Complaints notwithstanding, the IPod Shuffle is perfect for those on the go. It allows you to assemble your favourite songs and stuff them all onto one device, saving you the time required to scroll through all your music or create a playlist on other devices. That being said, anyone who is expecting to fill their device with all their music will come away disappointed at the Shuffles limited memory capacity. The device is well made, but some confusion with buttons and an irritating power/shuffle button can cause headaches. But the device's sound quality is excellent, and those with IPods already will be pleased that their music is compatible. If you're looking for a device to store a lot of your music on, then the Shuffle probably isn't for you, but those looking to cherry-pick their favourite tunes and put them altogether will find appeal, especially at a cheap price point of around £45 compared to other devices.
-----Extra notes-----
Colours Available: Black, Silver, Purple, Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue
Connection: USB 2.0
Minimum Operating System Required to Sync:
Mac - 10.6.8
Windows - XP (SP3)
Battery Life: 15 hours
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Apple iPod shuffle (2G) 1 GB
by SandeepNamburi
In this review I want to avoid talking mainly about the exterior features as it is simple enough for anyone for figure out. The controls include a rewind/last song button, forward/next song button, volume up button, volume down button, power switch, shuffle switch, and two status lights (bottom and top). Most of the controls are ... self-explanatory but I will go through some of them. The power switch allows you to reset, turn-on, or turn off your iPod shuffle and the shuffle switch allows random songs to be played without manually switching songs.
The 1 GB iPod Shuffle can hold approximately 250 songs. You can use all of the free space on the shuffle. Many other devices often slow down if too much of the memory is used, but not the iPod Shuffle. Simply add songs from your iTunes software to the iPod Shuffle and you're good to go.
Apple created the iPod Shuffle to allow users/people a simple way to listen to songs. Instead of a multi-purpose device that can browse the internet, stream videos, downloads files, etc., the iPod Shuffle just plays songs when your headphones are connected. In my opinion, I wished that the iPod Shuffle should have a small speaker so other friends can see the songs you have.
Overall, the iPod Shuffle is a great and extremely simple song device that doesn't need to load, crash, or have a virus.
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